Page 30 of The Ranger

Her mouth opened, closed, opened again.

Mr. Markhel got to his feet.

Great Scott he was tall! At five seven she was taller than her grandmother, and about the same height as her mother. She didn’t even reach Mr. Markhel’s shoulder. She remembered him being tall, but she didn’t remember him being this tall. As a child, he must have seemed enormous. But had she paid much attention to him? She couldn’t remember that either.

“Mr. Markhel,” the woman said. “What are you doing?”

His eyes were locked on Maida’s, and she was still frozen. He didn’t answer her and came around the table as Mrs. Berg, (Yes! That was her name!) already halfway to her grandmother, stared him down.

Vale Berg also stood. What was going on?

Mr. Markhel slowly approached until he was a few feet away and looked down at her.

“Maida... Maida Comfort.”

“Y-yes?” She gulped. He was... so... intense.

“Maida...” He reached out as he took another step closer.

“Sadie, I need to borrow some blue thread.... oh, you have company!”

Mr. Markhel broke the spell by looking away. She did the same. “Aunt Belle...”

“Well don’t just stand there Maida, introduce me.” Her aunt gave everyone a bright-eyed look. “Mr. Markhel, what a surprise! Where have you been keeping yourself all these years?”

“Belle, this is Andel and Maddie’s son Vale and his wife, Makama,” Grandma said. “Isn’t it wonderful, they just got married!”

“Married!” her aunt gushed. “How lovely.”

Mr. Markhel backed up a step, his eyes flicking to the Bergs.

Vale Berg sat, then just as quickly stood and bowed to Aunt Belle. “It’s a pleasure.”

“I can’t believe it,” her aunt said. “How are your parents. Are they here?”

“No, I’m sorry to say,” Mr. Berg said. “But they sent letters with us to give to you.”

Belle gasped in delight. “Did you hear that, Sadie?”

“Yes, and I can’t wait to read them.” She brought a tray laden with cups and saucers to the table while Mrs. Berg filled the teapot with water from the kettle on the stove.

“Oh, good grief,” Aunt Belle said. “You don’t have to do that. Maida, why aren’t you helping your grandmother?”

Maida sensed she was leaning to one side but wasn’t sure if she really was.

She shook her head, trying to clear it, and squeezed her eyes tight for a second. “I was getting to it.”

“It’s fine, Belle,” Grandma said. “Mrs. Berg was kind enough to help.” She shot Maida a worried glance. “Maida, why don’t you take a seat. Mr. Markhel? You too.”

Maida watched him step back to his chair and sit. She pulled out the nearest one and did the same. There was a chair between them, and Aunt Belle took it. “My, it’s good to see you. You haven’t changed a bit.” She smiled at him with an expectant look.

Maida watched with interest. Had Aunt Belle been expecting him? No one had seen Mr. Markhel for years, not since Tillie White married a man from out of town who came to visit Clear Creek. Beaumont was his name if she remembered right.

“I accompanied the Bergs,” he said.

“Yes, Markhel is acting as our... bodyguard,” Mr. Berg said.

Aunt Belle turned to face him. “Bodyguard.”

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